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(11) | EP 0 149 985 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
Apparatus for packaging given quantities of snuff Apparat zur Verpackung von bestimmten Mengen von Schnupftabak Appareil pour emballer des quantités données de tabac à priser |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The present invention relates to a method of producing and packaging uniform snuff portions and an apparatus for carrying out the method.
[0002] Snuff is normally packaged in boxes and the consumer takes with his fingers a suitable amount of snuff from the box. This is an un- esthetical method and there is therefore a need to provide each portion in its individual package to be placed in the mouth of the consumer.
[0003] The problem is, however, that the measured snuff portions must be blown into the paper tube or similar package as non-disintegrating units in order to obtain a satisfactory production speed and to avoid snuff crumbles within the tube area where the seals closing the packages are to be made.
[0004] It is known through US-A-2 540 059 to fill containers with a dry powder which is blown out from portion pockets in a rotatable disc or the like after having been compacted by vacuum. The measured portions are, however, in a powder state i.e. they will be blown as a suspension into the containers, which means that the known method and apparatus cannot solve the problem of packaging snuff in individual envelopes formed by paper, i.e. the same types of envelopes used for packaging tea, for example.
[0005] Consequently, a prime object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus with which production can be effected particularly rapid and which enables portions of snuff to be blown into a package without any risk of the snuff portions disintegrating.
[0006] The inventive method is based on the concept that snuff having a moisture content of 50 to 55 per cent which corresponds to the moisture content of snuff ready for consumption could be compressed in portion pockets to a consistency enabling each compressed snuff portion to be blown out from its pocket without disintegrating.
[0007] The invention is defined in the claims and described hereinafter with reference to a number of embodiments of the apparatus, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a simplified illustration of a first preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III in Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a simplified illustration of a second, modified embodiment, seen in plan view and
Figure 6 illustrates the apparatus of Figure 5, seen from the infeed end of the apparatus.
[0008] The apparatus illustrated in Figures 1-4 comprises a feed container 1, containing a store of snuff. Arranged in the lower, open end of the container 1 is feed screw 3, which in operation is driven continuously by a motor, not shown. As illustrated in Figure 2, the feed screw 3 has a diameter corresponding to the distance between the walls of the container 1. An endless portioning belt 4, suitably made of rubber or like material, is arranged beneath the feed container 1, closely adjacent to or in contact with the top of the helix of the feed screw 3. The belt 4 extends around a rearward drive roller (not shown) and a forward roller 5, hereinafter referred to as the feed roller. The portioning belt 4 has arranged on the inner surface thereof recesses 6 which co-act with shoulders 7 on the feed roller 5. Thus, the feed roller 5 is driven synchronously with the portioning belt 4. The portioning belt 4 is provided with uniformly spaced, through-passing portion pockets 8, the form of which corresponds to the required portion of snuff. Mounted beneath the upper part of the portioning belt 4, along the opening of the feed container 1, is a glide plate 9, which completely covers the lower open end of the portion pockets 8. The feed roller 5 is freely rotatable about a shaft 10, having provided therein an axially extending channel 11, the outer end of which is connected to a source of air under pressure (not shown) arranged to supply pressurized air constantly to the channel 11. The inner end of the channel 11 opens into a pressure chamber 12 firmly secured to the shaft. Arranged in the wall of the pressure chamber 12 is a blowout opening 13, and the feed roller is provided with through-passing blow-out nozzles 14, said nozzles being arranged to slide sequentially over the blow-out opening 13 on the stationary pressure chamber 12 and to form a blow-out station. The distance between the blow- out nozzles 14 fully corresponds to the distance between adjacent portion pockets 8.
[0009] The portioning belt 4, which is driven in the direction of arrow A, is supplied with snuff by means of the feed screw 3, while sliding against the plate 9, and the feed screw 3 is arranged to feed snuff in the opposite direction to the belt moving direction A, as illustrated by the arrow B in Figure 1. Thus, snuff is introduced in surplus quantities into each pocket, and since the snuff can be maintained at the moisture content suitable for consumption, there is obtained a compressed snuff portion in which the snuff particles are satisfactorily packed together. As will be understood, the snuff can also be compressed with the aid of a screw 3 arranged to advance snuff in the belt feed direction A, provided the feed rate of the screw exceeds the belt speed. The extent to which the snuff is compacted is essentially determined by the relative differences in speed, and increases with increasing screw speed. Subsequent to the feed roller 5 having been moved to an extent such that a filled pocket 8 and associated blow-nozzles 14 lie in register with the blowout opening 13, the compressed snuff portion is pushed by the pressurized air into and through a format tube 15. A heat sealable band 16, for example a rayon band containing thermoplastic binder, is fed to the format tube 15, said band being formed in a well known manner into a tube on the outer surface of the format tube 15, and the two mutually overlapping long edges of the band 16 being heat sealed by means of a longitudinal sealing device 17. The newly outwardly displaced snuff portion meets a cross-sealing weld 18 produced by means of a conventional cross-sealing device 19, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises two endless belts 20,21 located on both sides of the paper tube and having pairs of co-acting welding jaws, for example the jaw pair 22, 23. Upon completion of the transverse weld, which results in respective snuff portions lying individually sealed in a continuous band, the snuff portions are separated into individual portions or in band parts, by severing with a knife means 24, for example. Because the measured snuff portion is compressed and very moist, i.e. has a moisture content of about 55%, there is no risk that the portion will "explode" when pushed forcibly into the format tube 15, and neither there is any risk of snuff particles becoming separated from the compacted snuff and adhering to the inner wall of the paper tube such as to obstruct the transverse weld-sites and prevent reliable welding of the tube.
[0010] With regard to function, the modified embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 corresponds to the aforedescribed, preferred embodiment. The main difference between the preferred embodiment and that illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 is that the portioning belt 4 is replaced with a circular metal disc 25 which is arranged for rotation about a central axis and which is provided with through-passing portion pockets 26 located around a circular line. The feed screw 3 feeds snuff to the disc 25 mounted on a horizontal shaft 27, the disc within the ffilling area sliding against a glide plate 28, against which the snuff is compressed in the portion pockets. The portion pockets 26 are moved continuously to a nozzle 29 connected to a pressure source, and the compressed snuff portion is ejected at high speed into the format tube 15.
1. A method of producing and packaging uniform snuff portions, wherein snuff having
a moisture content of 50 to 55 per cent is transferred from a store (2) into portion
pockets (8; 26) in the form of through-passing openings in a portion conveyor (4;
25), compressing the snuff in each pocket to a consistency enabling each compressed
snuff portion to be blown out from its pocket by means of pneumatic means (11, 14;
29), arranged to exert on one end part of each compressed snuff portion a driving
force, into a package (16) and thereafter sealing said package.
2. An apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1, characterized by
a snuff store (2) for transferring snuff to a portion conveyor (4; 25) having portion
pockets (8; 26) in the form of through-passing openings in the portion conveyor, which
is arranged to transfer the portion pockets to a discharge station, compressing means
(3) for compressing the snuff in each pocket to a consistency enabling blowing out
of the compressed snuff portion from their respective portion pockets without disintegration,
pneumatic means (11, 14; 29) arranged to exert on one end part of each compressed
snuff portion at the discharge station a drive force for blowing the snuff portion'
into a package (16) and sealing means (19) for closing the package.
3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, characterized therein that said discharge station
comprises a format tube (15) receiving the snuff portions blown out from the portion
pockets and guiding the snuff portions into a tubular package, said sealing means
(19) being arranged to provide transverse welds on the tubular package enclosing each
of said compressed snuff portions.
4. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that a feed screw (3) is arranged
to feed snuff to said portion pockets at a speed which exceeds the speed of the portion
conveyor (4).
5. Apparatus according to Claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the portioning conveyor
(4) comprises an endless flexible belt having open portion pockets (8) evenly spaced
therealong, said belt being arranged to extend over a feed roller (5), having arranged
therein blow-out nozzles (14) corresponding to the portion pockets (8), and said feed
roller (5) being journalled for free rotation on a drum-like pressurized-air chamber
(12), having arranged in the wall thereof a blow-out opening (13) over which the nozzles
(14) are arranged to move during rotation of the feed roller (5); in that the format
tube (15) extends radially towards the feed roller (5) centrally opposite the blow-out
opening (13); and in that said format tube forms firstly a forming means for shaping
a tubular package on the outer surface thereof from a packaging band (16), and secondly
a guide means for guiding a compressed portion of snuff into said tubular package.
6. Apparatus according to Claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the portion conveyor
(25) has the form of a rigid disc which is driven about its centre axis and which
is provided with portion pockets (26) around a circular line; and in that the feed
screw (3) is arranged to feed snuff under pressure at right angles to the surface
of said rigid disc.
1. Verfahren zur Herstellung und Verpackung gleichförmiger Schnupftabakportionen,
bei welchem Schnupftabak mit einem Feuchtigkeitsgehalt von 50 bis 55% aus einem Speicher
(2) in Portionskammern (8; 26) in Form durchgehender Öffnungen in einem Portionsförderer
(4; 25) überführt wird, wobei man den Schnupftabak in jeder Kammer bis zu einer Konsistenz
zusammenpreßt, welche es jeder zusammengepreßten Schnupftabakportion gestattet, aus
ihrer Kammer mittels einer pneumatischen Einrichtung (11, 14; 29), die so angeordnet
ist, daß sie auf das Endteil einer jeden zusammengepreßten Schnupftabakportion eine
Antriebskraft ausübt, in eine Packung (16) ausgeblasen wird, und wobei man nachfolgend
die Packung versiegelt.
2. Einrichtung zum Durchführen des Verfahrens nach Anspruch 1, gekennzeichnet durch
einen Schnupftabakspeicher (2) zum Überführen von Schnupftabak an einen Portionsförderer
(4; 25), der Portionskammern (8; 26) in Form durchgehender Öffnungen im Portionsförderer
aufweist, welcher dazu eingerichtet ist, die Portionskammern zu einer Abgabestation
zu überführen, durch eine Verdichtungseinrichtung (3) zum Zusammenpressen des Schnupftabaks
in jeder Kammer bis zu einer Konsistenz, welche das Ausblasen der zusammengepreßten
Schnupftabakportion aus ihrer jeweiligen Portionskammer ohne Zerlegung ermöglicht,
durch eine pneumatische Einrichtung (11, 14; 29), die dazu eingerichtet ist, auf das
eine Endteil einer jeden zusammengepreßten Schnupftabakportion an der Abgabestation
eine Antriebskraft auszuüben, um die Schnupftabakportion in eine Packung (16) auszublasen,
und durch eine Versiegelungseinrichtung (19) zum Verschließen der Packung.
3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Abgabestation eine
Formatröhre (15) aufweist, die die Schnupftabakportionen aufnimmt, die aus den Portionskammern
ausgeblasen werden, und die Schnupftabakportionen in eine röhrenförmige Packung leitet,
wobei die Dichtungseinrichtung (19) so angeordnet ist, daß sie querverlaufende Schweißstellen
an der röhrenförmigen Packung vorsieht, welche jede der verdichteten Schnupftabakportionen
einschließen.
4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß eine Förderschnecke (3)
angeordnet ist, um Schnupftabak in die Portionskammern mit einer Geschwindigkeit zu
fördern, welche die Geschwindigkeit des Portionsförderers (4) überschreitet.
5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2 und 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Portionsförderer
(4) ein endloses, flexibles Band aufweist, das offene Portionskammern (8) aufweist,
die mit gleichmäßigem Abstand längs hiervon angeordnet sind, wobei das Band so angeordnet
ist, daß es sich über eine Zuführrolle (5) erstreckt, in welcher Ausblasdüsen (14)
angeordnet sind, welche den Portionskammern (8) entsprechen, und wobei die Zuführrolle
(5) zur freien Drehung an einer trommelartigen Druckluftkammer (12) drehbar gelagert
ist, in deren Wand eine Ausblasöffnung (13) angeordnet ist, über welche hinweg sich
die Düsen (14) infolge ihrer Anordnung während der Drehung der Zuführrolle (5) bewegen,
daß die Formatröhre (15) sich radial zur Zuführrolle (5) mittig der Ausblasöffnung
(13) gegenüberliegend erstreckt, und daß die Formatröhre zunächst eine Formungseinrichtung
bildet, um eine röhrenförmige Packung an ihrer Außenfläche aus einem Verpackungsband
(16) zu bilden, und dann eine Führungseinrichtung, um eine zusammengepreßte Schnupftabakportion
in die röhrenförmige Packung zu leiten.
6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2 und 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Portionsförderer
(25) die Form einer starren Scheibe aufweist, die um ihre Mittelachse herum angetrieben
ist und die mit Portionskammern (26) rund um eine Kreislinie versehen ist, und daß
die Zuführschnecke (3) so angeordnet ist, daß sie den Schnupftabak unter Druck rechtwinklig
zur Oberfläche der starren Scheibe fördert.
1. Procédé pour emballer des quantités uniformes de tabac, dans lequel le tabac ayant
une teneur en humidité de 50 à 55 % est transféré depuis une réserve (2) jusque dans
des pochettes de dosage (8; 26) prenant la forme d'ouvertures traversantes dans un
convoyeur de dosage (4; 25), en comprimant le tabac à priser dans chaque pochette
jusqu'à une consistance permettant à chaque dose de tabac comprimé d'être expulsée
de sa pochette par un moyen pneumatique (11, 14; 29) disposé de façon à exercer sur
une partie d'extrémité de chaque dose de tabac comprimé une force l'entraînant dans
un emballage (16), fermant ensuite ledit emballage.
2. Appareil pour appliquer le procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé par une
réserve de tabac à priser (2), pour transférer le tabac à priser dans un convoyeur
de dosage (4; 25) ayant des pochettes de dosage (8; 26) en forme d'ouvertures traversantes
dans le convoyeur de dosage, qui est agencé pour transférer les pochettes de dosage
vers un poste de sortie, des moyens de compression (3) pour comprimer le tabac à priser
dans chaque pochette jusqu'à une consistance permettant l'expulsion de la dose de
tabac comprimée depuis ces pochettes de dosage respectives sans désintégration, des
moyens pneumatiques (11, 14; 29) agencés pour exercer sur une partie d'extrémité de
chaque dose de tabac comprimé à l'endroit du poste de sortie une force d'entraînement
pour expulser la dose de tabac dans un emballage (16) et des moyens de scellement
(19) pour fermer l'emballage.
3. Appareil selon la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que ledit poste de sortie
comprend un tube de format (15) recevant des doses de tabac expulsé depuis les pochettes
de dosage et guidant lesdites doses de tabac dans un emballage tubulaire, lesdits
moyens de scellement (19) étant agencés pour effectuer des soudures transversales
sur l'emballage tubulaire en enfermant chacune desdites doses de tabac à priser comprimé.
4. Appareil selon la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce qu'une vis d'avance (3) est
agencée pour introduire du tabac à priser dans lesdites pochettes de dosage à une
vitesse qui dépasse la vitesse du convoyeur de dosage (4).
5. Appareil selon les revendications 2 et 3, caractérisé en ce que le convoyeur de
dosage (4) comprend une courroie souple sans fin comportant des pochettes de dosage
ouvertes (8) régulièrement réparties sur sa longueur, ladite courroie étant agencée
pour passer sur un rouleau d'avance (5) dans lequel sont disposées des buses d'expulsion
(14) correspondant aux pochettes de dosage (8), et dans lequel ledit rouleau d'avance
(5) est tourillonné pour tourner librement sur une chambre à air comprimé du type
tambour (12), dans la paroi de laquelle est agencée une ouverture d'expulsion (13)
devant laquelle les buses (14) sont prévues pour se déplacer pendant la rotation du
rouleau d'avance (5); en ce que le tube de format (15) est orienté radialement en
direction du rouleau d'avance (5) en étant centré et opposé à l'ouverture d'expulsion
(13); et en ce que ledit tube de format constitue d'abord un moyen de mise en forme
pour donner une forme à un emballage tubulaire sur sa surface extérieure à partir
d'une bande d'emballage (16), et deuxièmement un moyen de guidage pour guider une
dose comprimée de tabac à priser dans ledit emballage tubulaire.
6. Appareil selon les revendications 2 et 4, caractérisé en ce que le convoyeur de
dosage (25) prend la forme d'un disque rigide qui est entraîné autour de son axe central
et qui porte des pochettes de dosage (26) réparties sur une ligne circulaire; et en
ce que la vis d'avance (3) est agencée pour appliquer du tabac à priser sous pression
à angle droit par rapport à la surface dudit disque rigide.